Comments on: Napoleon’s hat

By: oldmethuselah

oldmethuselah — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:27:14 +0000

I found KABOTH’s comments most illuminating with regard to the “sideways” vs “longways” question.

We recently watched the “hornblower” bbc series, and for what it’s worth in terms of historical accuracy (for I do not know how much effort a film company would go to), it appears the lower ranks used the “sideways” style, while the upper ranks the “longways”.

Thanks

By: geovany napoleon

geovany napoleon — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:21:06 +0000

hear my last name is a great thinng

By: Tom Gullesen

Tom Gullesen — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:15:28 +0000

Thanks Cameron, I will do that..

By: Cameron

Cameron — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 12:43:12 +0000

No Tom, I have been looking for YEARS. However, I recently met the husband of a milliner and she was making tricorns, so I suspect she could also make a bicorn. So perhaps investigate your local milliners, especially someone with a historical bent?

By: Tom Gullesen

Tom Gullesen — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 12:18:39 +0000

Hey!
If there is anyone out there who know where I can buy a Napoleon hat. Copy of course. Or maybe a link to where I can buy it?

By: Kaboth

Kaboth — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:21:12 +0000

I was looking through my book, Ugo Pericoli ‘1815 The Armies of Waterloo’ and observing the Bicorne’s use. As far as I can tell the French were the only armies to wear the bicorne sideways. Whether this began because of Napoleon’s influence flowing through or whether it was practiced even in the early revolutionary armies and the royalist forces earlier I’m unsure. It seems the lower ranked officers mostly war the Bicorne sideways but so too did Marshals in full dress. That said when I’ve watched films the Marshals often wear their bicorne long ways as well and I think I’ve seen even unranked soldiers wear a bicorne sideways. Generals though whether they be Major-General, Lieutenant-General or General of Division seem to wear the bicorne long ways. Perhaps because Napoleon was usually surrounded by Generals as his aide-de-camps and what not it made Napoleon’s habit of wearing the Bicorne sideways seem comparatively more unique.

Then again perhaps there was not firm rule; soldiers just chose to wear the bicorne which ever way they liked. Its said Napoleon wore his sideways so he would stand out and be easily identifiable and also as a sign of solidarity with the lower ranks. Its also why he dressed comparatively austere particularly when compared to marshals like Murat.